Water Efficiency Success Stories

• 07.21.10
  Gerber and GreenPlumbers help build Ronald McDonald Home –

  "To ensure the families could focus on their children instead of their bathrooms, Gerber Plumbing Fixtures LLC and the Arizona GreenPlumbers joined together to retrofit  the home with quality, water-conserving plumbing products resulting in a WaterSmart Business designation and peace of mind."

• 06.25.10
  Grand Hyatt Atlanta High-Efficiency Products –

  Atlanta area water and sewer rates quadrupled in the last 10 years, and in July 2008, Atlanta faced a 27.5% increase on their water and sewer rates. The programs put into place by the hotel included 460 HETs that contribute to saving 29 gallons per guest night, a 63% water savings over the previous 3.5 gpf toilets, and overall water conservation efforts that contribute to 3,253,000 gallons of water saved per year.

• 08.04.09
  PMI Leads Green Coalition to Drive New Water Efficiency Standards, including HETs, in Texas –

  A coalition led by the Plumbing Manufacturers Institute recently helped Texas join California as the second state nationwide to require high-efficiency toilets (HETs) in all new residential and commercial construction. An HET is defined as a water closet that uses no more than 1.28 gallons of water per flush (GPF), or 20% less than the 1.6-GPF models mandated by the National Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPAct).

• 01.20.09
  Dual-Flush Valves Curb Airport Water Usage – From an article in Building Operating Management, February 2009: Portland International Airport saves 177,000 gallons of water a day by installing dual-flush valves.
• 04.20.08
  Concordia College Understands the Value of Water Conservation –

  Flushing a toilet more than once used to be the norm in some of the dorm halls at Minnesota’s Concordia College in Moorhead. Replacing old, inefficient toilets with high performance toilets saved the college 450,000 gallons of water in one year.

• 01.20.08
  The Day the Water Stopped in Orme, Tennessee –

  The water ran out for the 148 residents of Orme, TN in the summer of 2007. Water was trucked in daily, but it was only enough for three hours of average home use every day. Members of the Plumbing Manufacturers Institute volunteered replacements of high efficiency toilets (HETs) and faucets in a weekend campaign called "Race to Save the Water" in October 2007.

• 07.20.07
  Breakthrough Garbage Disposals From Emerson Help Milwaukee Convert More Food Waste into Electricity –

  Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District saved $1.9 million in energy costs from methane generated by the region's wastewater treatment plants. Plus, the district generates additional revenue by converting its biosolids into a natural lawn fertilizer which is sold commercially.